The landscape of politics in the U.S. and around the globe is fraught with anxiety, distress, and suffering. We are witnessing unprecedented political tensions, deepening ideological polarization, rising authoritarianism (including Christian Nationalism), and erosion of democratic institutional norms. Competing narratives of truth, a proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, the marginalization of vulnerable communities, and geopolitical tensions further contribute to this anxiety. How might practical theology be done in these politically fraught times? How can practical theologians and practitioners respond meaningfully, critically, and compassionately to these global political challenges? What are the implications of these theologies and practices for conceptions and experiences of freedom?
The Practical Theology Unit regards practical theology – a discipline committed to bridging theological reflection and lived reality – uniquely positioned to offer critical insights and transformative practices to these important questions. This session brings presentations ranging across various sub-disciplines of practical theology, as well as global contexts.
The landscape of politics in the U.S. and around the globe is fraught with anxiety, distress, and suffering. What role can pastoral/spiritual care play in dealing with the resulting violence and political trauma? An important method to address these highly-activating times is a turn to embodiment. As Bessel Van der Kolk and other trauma theorists remind us, our bodies literally “keep the score” of the pains and traumas in our lives. Bodies are always communicating, even without conscious awareness. In pastoral/spiritual care, feminist, womanist and intercultural scholars of pastoral care have emphasized the importance of attention to embodiment in healing, notably in the healing from trauma. Yet embodied praxis requires more attention to be integrated in the field. This paper explores the components of a body-centered approach to pastoral/spiritual care, including attention to embodied compassion, body psychotherapy, and spiritual practices that center embodiment.
In an era marked by political polarization and competing narratives of truth, this paper examines how humour in prophetic preaching cultivates cognitive virtues essential for critical engagement with unjust systems. In this paper I argue that Jesus’ use of hyperbole, irony, and satire in the Synoptic Gospels models cognitive virtues such as pattern recognition, error detection, and intellectual humility—skills that empower congregants to interrogate dominant narratives and envision transformative alternatives. Integrating Walter Brueggemann’s prophetic imagination and Steven Gimbel’s Cleverness Theory, this study demonstrates how humour disrupts oppressive ideologies and equips communities to evaluate political rhetoric and misinformation. Addressing the AAR’s 2025 theme of “Freedom,” this work offers a homiletic method grounded in biblical exegesis, positioning humour as a pedagogical tool for fostering cognitive agility and resistance to authoritarian epistemologies.
This paper will examine the limits and distortions of how preachers deal with political tensions and division circumstances in preaching, particularly in matters related to rising right-wing extremism and Christian nationalism in the South Korean context, and suggest a new homiletical method and direction to respond to the challenges and desire of justice, truth, reconciliation, and freedom.
This study analyzes the anti-democratic conflicts of South Korea, particularly focusing on the political injustice emerging from the alliance between conservative political forces and extreme right-wing Christianity. It examines the sermons of key pastors who lead and mobilize right-wing Christian groups, as well as those of major church pastors who are impotent in the current situation. Through this analysis, the study seeks to uncover the underlying problematic structures within these sermons. Finally, it explores the directions and theological discourse necessary for sermons that respond to political suffering and suggests practical structural forms for such preaching.
The recent landscape of politics in the United States has further marginalized communities that were already vulnerable based on their identities. One notable example is the significant increase in hate crimes targeting the Asian American community in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims to explore the empirical question of how specifically Korean American women pastors approached preaching and providing pastoral care following such acts of hate crimes against Asian Americans. The research will draw from a range of seven to ten preliminary interviews with Korean American women pastors to investigate how having Korean American women leaders ultimately helps shape the theological and political subjectivities of their congregants. The new findings of this work will provide a deeper understanding of the dynamic between Korean American women pastors and their congregants, which then can help churches develop new strategies to empower and motivate their community towards civic action.
Title: Practical Theology in Politically Fraught Times: A Transformational Response to Christian Nationalism and White Nationalism
Abstract The contemporary political landscape, marked by increasing ideological polarization, Christian Nationalism, and the erosion of democratic institutions, necessitates a robust engagement from practical theology. This paper explores how practical theology can offer prophetic critiques of unjust political systems through the lens of Transformational Leadership. Using the Four I’s of Transformational Leadership—Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individualized Consideration—this study examines the work of ecclesial leaders such as Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde and Human Rights activist Bishop William Barber as prophetic voices against the rise of Christian Nationalism and White Nationalism in America.
With the vast increase in the phenomenon of eco-anxiety (Hickman et al., 2021) as a result of human-induced climate change, many people are seeking to reconnect with the Earth in sustainable and loving ways. Rooting oneself in nature offers psychological and spiritual benefits, and a garden is a place where people can connect with one another, with nature, and with God. This paper offers practical theological insights from the praxis of spiritual gardening with kids as a transformative location for pastoral care. Drawing on a case study, and integrating multidisciplinary research from psychology, children’s spirituality, and religious education, this paper considers three concrete pastoral care practices that can take place in a garden to help children cope with eco-anxiety.